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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27411667">Here With Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearWithAHat/pseuds/BearWithAHat'>BearWithAHat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Formula 1 RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crying, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Dogs, First Kiss, Getting Together, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, I promise its not as bad as it sounds from the tags sjsjjs, M/M, Painting, Post-Break Up, Rain, Sad with a Happy Ending, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, Sort Of, baby Roscoe!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:28:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,627</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27411667</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearWithAHat/pseuds/BearWithAHat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Max leans on Lewis' shoulder after a breakup and it helps him move on into something better.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lando Norris/George Russell, Lando Norris/Max Verstappen (past), Lewis Hamilton/Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton/Nico Rosberg (past)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>106</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Motorsport Autumn Fic Exchange 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Here With Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/FormulaKate/gifts">FormulaKate</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>ohhh goodness I had a bit of a hard time coming up with something for this! 🥺🥺 I hope you enjoy it though dear, I really hope I wrote what you were looking for ❤️ this is a bit sad but I hope its still enjoyable akssjjs</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     The sound of the door slamming shut still rung in Max's ears as he sat on the porch with his head in his hands. He wasn't sure if the throbbing in his head was from his anger or from the tears streaming down his face, leaving him dehydrated and exhausted.</p><p>     Max rubbed at his eyes as he sat there and tried to just catch his breath. His heart pounded in his chest and he felt on the verge of passing out, his sobs becoming more frantic as he ran through each word that had just been said minutes before. Gritting his teeth, Max stood up and kicked at the steps of the porch, letting out a frustrated shout as everything welled up inside of him.</p><p>     A myriad of different emotions strangled him all at once. Sadness, loneliness, anger, confusion, and regret all dug their nails into his skin and were pulling Max each in a different direction. It made him feel ill and reduced him to a shriveling mess as he gasped and fisted his hands into the material of his coat.</p><p>     He wasn't sure how long he stood on the lawn with his arms around himself, doubled over and trying to get himself under control. Max squeezed his eyes shut and drew in a deep breath, knowing he needed to find somewhere to go. Night was creeping in and as the sun went down, he began to feel cold. He shivered and tried to think of where to go, knowing he couldn't go back inside.</p><p>     One person came to mind, and Max didn't think twice about it. He gave one last look over his shoulder and wiped his tears on the back of his hand before climbing into his car and leaving. Max called multiple times on the drive over, but he didn't get an answer.</p><p>     Given that it was rather late at night, he shouldn't have been surprised. Still, Max kept driving and could only hope that he wasn't going to be intruding.</p><p>     It took over an hour for Max to reach the home he was looking for. He was exhausted and trying to hold back tears once more as he dragged himself up to the front door, rapping his knuckles against the wood and standing awkwardly as he waited. Max didn't know what to do with himself and was about to turn around and leave when the door creaked open, and out stepped a weary-looking Lewis.</p><p>     "Max? Is everything alright?" Lewis yawned, leaning against the doorframe. He clearly had been woken up by the knock on the door and Max felt a pang of guilt at having bothered him. </p><p>     "Yes- er, no, not really," Max blurted out, "something happened, and I need somewhere to stay for the night." It was cold and dark out and he knew that Lewis was kind and wouldn't say no, but a part of him still felt like he was being a burden by showing up in the middle of the night.</p><p>     Lewis offered him a tired smile and pulled the door further open, gesturing for him to come in. "Of course," the Brit murmured, "come on, it's cold out."</p><p>     Max gladly stepped inside and was relieved to be out of the cold. He followed Lewis into the living room, where there was a couch with a few pillows that looked like it would make do to sleep on. The nicely furnished room backed up to the kitchen, where Lewis immediately made a beeline for and came back with a glass of water for Max. </p><p>     Sinking down onto the couch, Max gladly took the water and downed most of it. The soreness in his throat and the aching in his head was somewhat soothed by the cool water, and Max sighed deeply as he set the glass down on the coffee table and felt that he could think a little more clearly now.</p><p>     Lewis sat down beside him and looked him over with a concerned gaze. Max knew that he probably looked like shit and he truthfully felt like shit too. He also knew that he really owed Lewis an explanation, and he could see the many questions in his eyes as the older man furrowed his brow but didn't say anything, too polite to directly ask what had happened. There was a silence between them as Max sniffled softly and folded his hands in his lap.</p><p>     "Do you want to talk about whatever happened?" Lewis asked him gently, resting a hand on his knee.</p><p>     Max shook his head and said, "I don't think I can right now. I'm really tired and I know that I woke you up, so I think it would be better if we talked about it in the morning." Despite the tears threatening to spill over his cheeks, Max did his best to offer a weak smile in return.</p><p>     "Alright, take your time. I'm just down the hall if you need anything, and there's a blanket in the chest over there if you need it," Lewis gave him a reassuring pat on the knee before getting up to go to bed once more.</p><p>     "Thank you," Max breathed out as he watched him go.</p><p>     He kicked his shoes off and set his coat in a nearby chair, wandering over to an oak chest pushed against the wall and pulling a fuzzy blanket out of it. Max absentmindedly turned his phone off and abandoned it on the coffee table next to the glass of water before he sank down onto the couch and lay back into the pillows. They were the kind of pillows that people got for decoration, not necessarily for comfort, and so Max grimaced as he tried to adjust them in a way that was comfortable to sleep on. </p><p>     Max sighed and rolled over to hide his face against the couch cushions, then draping the blanket over himself. The weariness seeping into his body had him falling asleep quickly, and Max had never been more grateful for the sweet release of nothingness.</p>
<hr/><p>     A soft whining noise woke Max up the next morning. He rolled over and peeked over the blanket to see the shiny eyes of Roscoe looking up at him, the dog sitting in front of the couch and clearly interested in their guest. Max reached his hand out to let Roscoe sniff him, and the feeling of the soft nose against his hand would have made him smile and laugh in any other circumstance.</p><p>     Max sat up with a groan. He was sore all over from sleeping on the couch, especially his back, and there was a dull ache in his neck too. A heavy cloud hung over him and settled inside his chest, filling his lungs and making him feel worse than the night before. Despite sleeping for a decent few hours, Max still felt worn out.</p><p>     He swung his legs over the side of the couch and pushed the blanket off of him. Since he had to sleep in the clothes he came in, there were many creases in his shirt and his jeans were quite disheveled looking too. Max leaned forward and rubbed at his eyes, letting out a defeated sigh. It was clearly later than he would normally sleep in, given the time on the clock he glanced over at, and Max knew that life wasn't going to be quite as organized as it usually was for a while. </p><p>     There were a few sounds that reverberated throughout the house. In the kitchen, Max could hear Lewis moving around and presumably cooking something. Roscoe was sitting on the carpet next to the couch, panting softly and pawing at Max's leg. Outside, there was rain evenly pattering against the windows.</p><p>     "Hi buddy," Max croaked, leaning down to pat the dog's head. His throat was dry and he swallowed down the rest of the water that sat on the coffee table, choosing to ignore his phone that sat beside it. The last thing Max felt like doing was responding to messages that he dreaded reading or having to face the silence if there weren't any messages waiting for him.</p><p>     For a few minutes, Max just sat on the couch with his head in his hands. The sound of the rain outside was calming, and he didn't have the energy to do anything else.</p><p>     Lewis padded out into the living room and sat down next to Max, setting a plate of a nicely cooked breakfast down in front of him. Roscoe perked up at the sight of his owner and came to sit between them, laying down and resting his head against Lewis' leg. "Good morning," Lewis said with a smile, nodding towards the plate, "I figured you'd like something to eat."</p><p>     Max picked it up, not realizing how hungry he was until he began to eat. It only took a few minutes for him to finish the warm plateful completely, and Max wasn't sure if he would ever be able to stop thanking Lewis for his hospitality. Once he set the empty plate back onto the coffee table, Max knew what Lewis was going to say before he even said it.</p><p>     "So, now that you're rested and had something to eat, why don't you tell me what happened?" Lewis questioned, sitting back and gazing at Max with concern in his eyes. </p><p>     The Dutchman rubbed at his eyes and felt his emotions beginning to well up inside as he thought of how to articulate what had happened to lead him there. Deep inside, Max knew that there was no way for him to tell the story without crying. The wounds were still so new and as much as Max knew that it would do him good to talk about it, he didn't want to. It made him feel nauseous at first and he would have been unable to talk were it not for Lewis putting a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>     "It's a bit of a messy story. I'm sure you know that Lando and I were a couple for bit...a few years, actually. It was all fine and great at first, we got along well and loved each other, things were fantastic for us," Max began, swallowing as he remembered each milestone of their relationship. He thought that he had been so lucky when he fell in love with one of his best friends.</p><p>     "And then, everything changed. I don't know why, but everything seemed to just go downhill for us about a year ago. It was like we could never agree on anything and we got mad at each other for every little thing. I don't know if it was the stress of both of us being at the highest level of this sport, but whatever it was, we just were constantly getting into it," Max groaned, trembling and wrapping his arms around himself as he recalled the nights of arguments and yelling.</p><p>     Lewis shifted closer to him and patted his back as he tried to gather the words to go on. Max leaned against him and squeezed his eyes shut, feeling embarrassed about losing control of his emotions in front of someone. It had been a while since he had been vulnerable in front of somebody.</p><p>     "Then we made the stupid decision to move in together, because we thought that would somehow fix things. I guess we thought that if we were living together, we'd just naturally figure things out and get back to our usual happy balance. You can probably guess how that went," he laughed bitterly, feeling Lewis soothingly rub his back. Even though he couldn't figure out how to let it show, Max appreciated his comfort.</p><p>     "There were some moments where we seemed to be back to normal, and I think that's what kept us living in that delusion. But then we'd get back to the tension and arguments and it finally reached a breaking point yesterday," Max shuddered as he said it. </p><p>     He bit his lip and couldn't hold back a sob, wishing he knew how to cope with the mix of pain and regret that he felt. Lewis gently shushed him and put an arm around his shoulders, holding him close and murmuring, "hey, just take a deep breath." </p><p>     Max inhaled slowly and held his breath for a moment before exhaling slowly too, gripping at his sleeves. The feeling of Roscoe nudging at his leg got his attention, and Max opened his eyes and peered down at the dog, who looked curiously up at him. </p><p>     With a smile, Lewis leaned down and scooped Roscoe up in his arms. He set him down between them on the sofa, and Roscoe happily rested his head on Max's lap. Max was pleasantly surprised to find that the dog's presence gave him the confidence he needed to say what happened next. He put a hand on his soft head and gently brushed his fingers over the wrinkles of fur.</p><p>     "He told me that he wanted to break up. Specifically, he wanted to break up because he was in love with someone else and had been for a while," Max choked out. He could still remember the pained look on Lando's face as he said it, as if it hurt him to cut the last line between them.</p><p>     "Then I got really upset at him because...I guess I don't really know why it made me so angry that he had moved on and I thought we were still trying to fix things between us. I won't lie and say that we didn't know something like this would happen eventually, but we were both naive enough to pretend like it wasn't inevitable. We argued enough that I eventually just stormed out, and I didn't know where to go or who to turn to, and that's how I ended up on your doorstep last night," Max finished, unable to stop the silent tears that flowed down his cheeks.</p><p>     Lewis just sat next to him and rubbed his arm for a few seconds. He pulled Max closer to properly embrace him, and Max hid his face against the sweater he had on and held onto Lewis like his life depended on it. It had been a long time since someone properly held him, and Max had forgotten how comforting it could be. </p><p>     "I'm so sorry, Max, I really am. I know that doesn't fix anything but I want you to know that I feel for you and you can stay with me for as long as you need," Lewis whispered, patting his back and letting him cry against his shoulder.</p><p>     "Thank you. I just don't know how to handle it all right now. I mean, I feel so many different things all at once that I don't know how to deal with myself," Max said when he eventually let go of Lewis, wiping at his eyes.</p><p>     "I know, just let yourself feel things right now. Why don't you go take a shower? It might help you clear your head, and I can set out some fresh clothes for you," Lewis suggested, bringing Roscoe into his arms so that Max could stand up.</p><p>     Even though he still felt guilty about making himself a guest in someone else's home, Max nodded and dragged himself over to the bathroom. He had heard Lewis slip out of the house before he stepped into the shower, and Max wondered where he was going but didn't question it and instead just stepped under the spray of the water. The warm water on his back felt heavenly to his weary self, and he wasn't sure how long he had stood underneath the hot stream of water with his eyes closed.</p><p>     Max leaned his forehead against the tile wall and closed his eyes, shuddering as he let his feelings wash over him. Everything felt too intense for him to handle. He felt angry, at himself and at Lando. But he also felt guilty for feeling angry and guilty for getting mad at Lando when in reality, Lando deserved to be with someone who loved him, not stuck in an unhappy relationship with Max.</p><p>     There was a whole mess of feelings that Max was drowning in. His head hurt when he tried to think through things, and Max felt the tears mix with the water on his cheeks. Letting out a long sigh, Max simply focused on his breathing and let everything else fade into the background for a minute. </p>
<hr/><p>     When Max stepped out of the shower, a fluffy towel wrapped around himself, he found a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt set out for him. Lewis' kindness and concern was much appreciated by him, no matter how much he was worried that he was a nuisance for needing to stay at the Brit's house. He dressed himself in the fresh clothes and wandered back down the hall to the living room.</p><p>     Outside, the rain had only begun to fall harder. Max stopped briefly to peer out one of the windows. The glass was decorated with raindrops that collected the water pouring down and eventually ran down to the window sill. A soft rumble of thunder rolled through the atmosphere. He was warm and dry inside, and Max stood and watched the rain evenly falling down for a minute.</p><p>     He found Lewis to still be gone when he made it back to the living room. Roscoe was once again sitting by the couch, and Max picked him up to sit on the couch with the dog again. </p><p>     It took a bit of courage for Max to turn on his phone. As he expected, there were a few messages from Lando. There were some from others, who presumably were checking in on him after hearing one way or another what had happened, but Max didn't have it in him to even open all of them. He took a long breath and opened the messages from Lando.</p><p>     There were quite a few that had been sent over the course of the night. Max read through them while Roscoe fell asleep next to him</p><p>  <strong>   I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.</strong></p><p>
  <strong>     Are you okay? Did you go somewhere?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>     Max, please tell me if you’re alright. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>     Hey? Are you ignoring me or are you hurt? </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>     Where are you?</strong>
</p><p>     Lando had sent, the last one being from around five in the morning. </p><p>     Max felt a bit guilty that he had left him wondering if he was alright. He supposed he probably should have answered them, but Max didn’t know if he would have been able to coherently respond the previous night. After contemplating what to say for a few seconds, Max began to type a response.</p><p>  <strong>   I’m sorry too. I was the one who started yelling. I’m okay, I went to Lewis’ and I’m still here. Sorry I didn’t respond, I just couldn’t bring myself to look at my phone until now.</strong></p><p>     He shut his phone off once more and set it back down. Leaning back into the couch, Max patted Roscoe and bit his lip as his eyes began to water once more. </p><p>     There was a soft buzzing noise from his phone, indicating that Lando had responded.</p><p>
  <strong>     Ok, I’m glad you are alright. Are you going to stay with him for a bit? Do you want to come and get some of your things?</strong>
</p><p>     Anxiety coursed through him at the thought of going to the house he had stormed out of and having to face his now ex boyfriend that he had gotten into an argument with less than 24 hours ago. The thought of having his own clothes back did sound nice though, and so Max agreed.</p><p>
  <strong>     I will come later today and get some of my stuff. Let's not talk about things right now, I need time. I'm sorry.</strong>
</p><p>   Max didn't even know what he was apologizing for; he just felt like he needed to say it again. With that, he set his phone down once more and wandered into the kitchen to get another glass of water. As he came back to sit down on the sofa, he heard the sound Lewis entering the house and cooing at Roscoe in that sweet, high-pitched voice that people always talked to their pets in.</p><p>     Lewis had a bag tucked under his arms and he smiled when he saw Max shyly wandering back into the room. The Brit motioned for him to come over, and he set the bag down and pushed the coffee table to the other side of the room. </p><p>     Max raised an eyebrow but sat down on the floor next to Lewis in the cleared space. He took a sip of water and watched as Lewis took a few items out of his bag, while Roscoe flopped down on the carpet near them. </p><p>     "I went out and got some things for us to do. It's a rainy day outside and I thought you might appreciate having something to do. I've always found it helpful to be doing something when I'm sad rather than just sitting around and feeling bad," Lewis explained with a shrug. He pushed a box over to Max, who picked it up and began to inspect it.</p><p>     "Paint by numbers?" Max read in a questioning tone. The rain outside was heavy, and he figured that Lewis had a point about doing something to avoid just sitting and wallowing in his pain. He supposed it was better to be in pain and doing things over being in pain and doing nothing.</p><p>     "Yeah, I thought it would be relaxing. You get to make art without having to think to hard about it," Lewis smiled at him as he began to open the box he had for himself.</p><p>     Max did the same. There was a canvas with the different parts of the picture outlined, and the numbers of the corresponding colours in the middle of each shape. A list of the colours and what numbers they were, along with the little set of paints and a few paint brushes, were in each of the boxes too, and Max read over the instructions even though he knew what to do.</p><p>     "I've never done one of these before," Mad admitted as he popped open he caps of the different paints. They were nothing too fancy, just basic acrylic paints, but Max was no professional artist and wasn't going to complain about it. </p><p>     "It's a lot of fun. Some people complain about it being uncreative, but I think the point of paint by numbers is to just have fun and make something neat, you know?" Lewis mused as he picked up one of the paintbrushes. He squinted and looked over his canvas, deciding where to start. </p><p>     "I guess so. It's been a while since I did anything like this, really, just for fun," Max murmured. </p><p>     The two of them began to work on the paintings. Max picked up the smallest brush, one with a wooden handle and soft bristles that tapered into a rounded tip. He dipped it into one of the colours and began to carefully paint, sweeping the brush across the sections with the number of the yellow colour he had chosen to start with. Like Lewis had said, there was something calming about it. The repeated motions redirected his focus away from the distressing thoughts and gloomy fog that filled his lungs, his mind slipping from an overactive and frantic state to a more passive, subconscious one. He didn't think about the bitter sadness or the heartbreak that was kicking him to the ground; Max just focused on dipping the brush into the labeled paints one by one and slowly filling the canvas.</p><p>     At first, the two of them painted in silence, simply sitting across from one another and enjoying the sound of the rain tapping on the windows and Roscoe drifting off to sleep. The carpet was soft beneath them and Max felt at home as the time passed them by. The feeling of the brush beneath his fingers, solid and reliable, grounded Max and seemed to keep him in reality. Hues of colours gradually dancing over the canvas beckoned him closer and welcomed him with open arms, giving him a glimpse of the sunlight that hadn't been shining for him in a while. With steady hands, Max bent his wrist and moved his hand in gentle motions, laying down colours in layers to build up a beautiful picture.</p><p>     Max set the brush down for a moment and looked over at Lewis. Sitting cross legged, Lewis was deeply concentrated, seemingly holding his breath with each brushstroke to get it perfectly within the lines. He squinted, the creases in his face reminding Max of his beaming smile he wore when he was celebrating another victory. There was something Max quite liked about getting to see Lewis in private like this; Lewis was just as sweet and charming in public as he was while sitting on the ground at home, painting with his hurting friend. </p><p>     "How's it going over there?" Lewis asked when he noticed Max watching him. </p><p>     "Pretty good, I think I'm about halfway done. It's fun, a lot better than sulking with my sad thoughts," Max joked, although he could only smile painfully. He picked up the paintbrush again and rinsed it in the cup of water that they had dedicated to washing the paintbrushes with. As he picked the next colour to work with, Max felt the clouds gathering over him once more. </p><p>     "Do you want to talk about it some more?" Lewis suggested with a gentle tone, "what all are you feeling right now?"</p><p>     Max nodded and began to paint again. He moved the brush in slow motions and tried to make sense of the mess that was happening inside his head. It was like trying to steer a canoe through a squall in the ocean.</p><p>     "There's a whole lot of things happening in my head. I feel so angry. I'm angry that Lando broke up with me and that he's leaving me for someone else. I'm angry at him and myself for not being able to fix our relationship, and I'm even more angry that we made the dumbass decision to move in together when we knew that wouldn't make anything better. I'm angry that I didn't try harder, yet I'm also angry that I didn't leave that relationship if it didn't make me happy," Max began, clenching his jaw firmly as the fire inside him flared up briefly. </p><p>     "And then I start to feel guilty. I feel guilty for being mad at Lando because he's completely within his right to leave me if I don't make him happy, especially if he's found someone else that does make him happy. I feel guilty for forcing myself to be in an unhappy relationship, and I feel guilty that I didn't break it off, because by not doing so, I continued to make him miserable. I feel guilty that I got so mad at him and stormed out, and I feel guilty that I didn't answer his messages and made him think I was hurt or something," his voice cracked as he poured his emotions out onto the canvas and salty tears blurred his vision. </p><p>     "I feel so, so sad. I'm so sad that I've most likely ruined that friendship with someone I loved being around so much. I'm sad that I can't look back on all the happy memories we made together, when things were going okay for us, because now it's all tainted with this...awful taste to it. I'm sad that I probably won't be able to laugh with him anymore or hang out with him, I'm sad that there will be some god awful shitstorm for me to sort out with the rest of his friends and the fucking media. I regret every horrible thing I said to him last night and I'm just so <em>miserable</em> right now," Max set the paintbrush down and wiped at his eyes as he choked the words out. </p><p>     Lewis shifted closer and reached out to touch his arm, stroking his shoulder. Max couldn't help but lean into his soothing touch and he laid his head on Lewis' shoulder. There was a part of him that still felt too prideful to be needing help, to need to be held and comforted as Lewis was doing. His pain outweighed the embarrassment that he knew he needed to get over, and Max appreciated Lewis putting his arm around him and letting him cry on his shoulder.</p><p>     "Breakups are terrible like that. They manage to be so liberating because you're out of that relationship, but then you also miss the good parts of it. It's really bittersweet, isn't it?" Lewis shushed him. His voice was pleasant and sweet, like it always was, and Max could have listened to him talk for the rest of the day.</p><p>     "I know how it hurts, and I know how conflicted you feel right now. Just try to keep your head above water, things will get better again even if it doesn't feel like it right now," he said, patting Max's side comfortingly. </p><p>     Max wiped his tears on the back of his hand and sat up to look at him. Lewis had a very therapeutic quality to him, Max thought. He was one of those people who made people feel comfortable enough to open up and the way he looked at Max with such genuine care and concern made Max want to never look away from Lewis' kind eyes. </p><p>     "I'm trying my best. I just wish I could make it stop hurting, and I know it's gonna hurt like this for a while," Max whispered, looking down at his lap, "I know this sounds stupid, but it makes me feel so weak to need help."</p><p>     Lewis scoffed and smiled reassuringly at Max. "It's never weak to need help. If it lets you be you again, then that's all that matters."</p><p>     Max took a breath and nodded. He leaned against Lewis for a couple more minutes until they began to work on their crafts again. Roscoe woke up and waddled over to sit down next to Max, resting his head on his paws and watching Max paint. Max reached over to pat his head again, and he felt a little less sad seeing the sweet brown eyes peer up at him.</p><p>     As they continued painting, Lewis continued talking to him, and Max listened diligently.</p><p>     "When Nico and I broke up, I felt the same way that you feel now. I was so glad to be free of the stress we caused each other. We argued a lot like you and Lando did, and things didn't get better and we reached a breaking point," Lewis explained as he carefully painted, "but I also missed all the good memories we made together and the little things that I loved him for. I didn't have to put up with the arguments and shouting anymore, but I'd also never get to wake up to Nico smiling down at me again or hear his laughter when we went out together. In the long run, breaking up was what was best for us, even if it took some time for me to mourn what parts of the relationship I had enjoyed."</p><p>     Max nodded and bit his lip, swiping his paintbrush over the numbered canvas. He and Lewis hadn't been as close back when Lewis was dating Nico Rosberg. All Max really saw of their breakup was the fallout that seeped into the public, the way they ignored each other and answered questions about their breakup with curt responses. Now that he had experienced such a breakup, he could picture how pained they must have been.</p><p>     "Yeah...like you said, I know it's for the best that we broke up. It put an end to the arguing and tension that we were living with. But Lando has been such a good friend to me for so long, and potentially losing that friendship is heartbreaking to me. And the times where we were happy together...," Max trailed off, not knowing how to put it into words.</p><p>     For every stinging argument he and Lando had with each other, there were also memories that made it worth it to keep trying to fix their relationship. Their first date, their first kiss, the sight of Lando's eyes and nose scrunching up when he laughed so heartily that he had to catch his breath, the memory of laying together in fields of flowers and watching the brilliant night sky together, the stars gazing down upon the two of them; all of it still swirled in Max's heart, and those memories were now tinted blue with the end of their relationship.</p><p>     "I know, it's hard to sort yourself out when you are glad to be over with him but you still hold the good memories close to your heart," Lewis took the words right out of his mouth, and Max nodded.</p><p>     "Nico used to tell me that the universe was made just to be seen by me," Lewis recalled a few minutes later, "he said things like that a lot, and it always made me feel so special and like he really treasured me. He had this way of making you feel like you were the only thing that mattered."</p><p>     "Oh...that's so sweet. I bet that was hard to let go of when you guys broke up?" Max said.</p><p>     He watched as Lewis made one last determined brushstroke on his canvas. Having worked faster than Max, he had finished his painting already, and set his brush into the muddied cup of water before getting up to place his painting on the coffee table to dry. Max looked back down at his own canvas. He was almost done too, and he frowned in concentration as he tried to hurry up.</p><p>     "It was one of many things that I found it hard to get over. I think one of the things that it's important to remember is that we're not halves of a whole when we're in a relationship, we aren't losing our other half when we break up. Thinking about things that way helped me move on and now I can look back on the fond memories we made together while still feeling glad that we broke up," Lewis explained to him, settling to sit beside him. </p><p>     "Unfortunately I think I'm a bit too self destructive to pull myself up out of this one," Max said quietly. He picked up his paintbrush, delicately dipped it into the paint, and filled in the last section on his canvas.</p><p>     The finished picture was a pretty painting of sunflowers, sitting on a table in a vase. The soft patches of colours were very impressionistic, gentle and coming together to just give the faint hints of shadows and edges. Max never thought he would ever have been able to paint something that nice looking on his own.</p><p>     "When you have a hard time seeing your future, it's really hard to build yourself up. But if you'll let me, I hope I can help you stop tearing yourself down while you stay with me, Max," Lewis offered, and Max felt his cheeks flush. </p><p>     Lewis was truly too kind to him sometimes.</p>
<hr/><p>     Things were just as awkward as Max expected them to be when he went to go retrieve his stuff from Lando's house. Lewis drove him over, and Max spent the entire drive staring out the window and trying to swallow the uncomfortable feeling that seemed to be lodged in his throat.</p><p>     "Do you want me to come in with you?" Lewis asked when they were parked next to the foreboding home.</p><p>     Max shook his head weakly, muttering out, "no, I think I should go by myself." His nervous heart rate thrummed in his chest as he glanced out the window. Near the path that led to the front door sat another parked car, one that Max recognized all too well. It was all he could do to breathe in shakily as he comprehended that not only would he have to be in the same building as Lando, but also the one who was taking Max's place.</p><p>     Lewis followed his gaze. "If you don't mind telling me, who did Lando break up with you to be with?" he further asked, watching as Max's face soured as he glared at the offending vehicle.</p><p>     "George," was all Max said before he slipped out of the car and sulked up to the front door of the house.</p><p>     Lando opened the door wordlessly and refused to meet Max's eyes. Although he didn't see him, Max could hear George in the house too as he darted past Lando and made his way to what had been <em>their</em> bedroom for months. He was glad that it was the off season, meaning that he didn't have to see them and he certainly didn't have to interact with them each weekend.</p><p>     It was bittersweet to walk the halls that they had called home together, to remember all the moments they had shared in the house. Nights where they had danced in the kitchen together as well as the many arguments and shouting matches all were revived in Max's head as he went from the different rooms of the house, gathering up any of his things that had been left there.</p><p>     His clothes were all still in the dresser, and Max hurriedly pulled them out of the drawers and shoved them into a suitcase without care. It didn't matter if they were folded nicely, Max just wanted to get his things and go. He couldn't bear the ghosts of their past that floated around him and shoved at him at the sight of the messed up sheets on the bed, the coffee cups that sat on the counter, any of the little signs of the house being lived in made him feel so profusely sad and alone. </p><p>     Max dragged the suitcase of his clothes and the few other personal items of his in the house along behind him as he wandered back towards the door. Lando emerged from the kitchen and awkwardly cleared his throat as Max was about to escape back outside through the front door.</p><p>     "Max?" Lando breathed out almost inaudibly. He was wrapped up in a sweatshirt that was just a bit too big on him to be his own, and he looked like there was more he wanted to say, but couldn't bring himself to say anything more. </p><p>     "Look...we should have broken up a while ago, and this is what's best for us. I'm not harboring any resentment toward you, or George for that matter, but I just need some time to get myself back in order," Max said, and he was quite surprised at how calm he managed to sound. </p><p>     Lando nodded, and he gave him a small smile, one Max would have liked to return but felt too tired to do so. The younger took a step forward and opened the door for Max. </p><p>     "I understand. Just call or text when you're ready," Lando whispered, blinking to hold back tears.</p><p>     Max said no more and simply walked out of the house, dragging the suitcase along behind himself. He set it in the back of Lewis' car before climbing back into the passenger seat and letting out a deep exhale. </p><p>     There was some sort of clarity that he felt as they drove back to Lewis' house. It was as if he felt free to begin moving on from their relationship now that there was nothing left of him in the house, where it had all gone down and where Max was no longer a part of the story. For the first time in the past twenty four hours, Max began to feel a little less hopeless and dejected about the world and his place in it.</p><p>     "You alright?" Lewis checked in on him while he drove. His caring, almost motherly nature made Max wish that he could have stayed with Lewis forever.</p><p>     Watching the trees blur together as they passed them by, Max looked out the window and said, "yeah. I think I'll be able to get through this now."</p>
<hr/><p>     It continued to rain heavily for the next few days. Max didn't mind, for he found the steady sound of the rain on the roof to be calming. It wasn't like he was in a hurry to be outside and part of the living world, so he was glad for rain to justify him simply hanging out with Lewis in the house for the coming week.</p><p>     The two of them seemed to just merge naturally in the house together. Lewis slept in his room, Max slept on the couch, and they ate each meal together and spent the majority of the day doing some sort of activity to pass the time. Sometimes they would watch a movie, play a video game, or do other mindless crafts that Max was surprised to find himself enjoying.</p><p>     Then there was little Roscoe, who adored having another person in the house to play with and get attention from. He and Lewis spent a fair amount of time playing with Roscoe, throwing a ball for him or patting him on the couch while they just sat and talked. They talked about Max's breakup and how he was feeling, but they also just fell into easy conversation that made Max feel human again. </p><p>     That was the thing about being with Lewis; whether they were talking or doing something together, it made Max forget about everything else and just focus on being in the moment, with the man who he was coming to appreciate and adore more with each day. Max began to think less and less about the drama with him and Lando, and he spent less time moping and wishing for his pain to end.</p><p>     Some of his healing may have just been with time, but Max liked to think that he was able to feel better because of Lewis. His kind voice, his gentle touches, and the way he seemed to have a piece of wisdom for every one of Max's troubles made the world seem brighter for Max. </p><p>     "I just wish that we had been mature enough to break up sooner. It really felt like we were only together because we didn't want to lose the comfort of being in a relationship," Max had muttered ruefully one day, while he sat on the couch and held Roscoe in his lap.</p><p>     "Sometimes it felt like Nico was only coming around to see my dog," Lewis had told him, and Max didn't know why that elicited a giggle from him. Lewis grinned in return and clapped him on the back. It was the first time Max had genuinely laughed in a while.</p><p>     Days of Max staying at Lewis' place turned into a few weeks, and Max simply felt naturally at home with Lewis. He eventually started helping with the domestic side of life; they did laundry together, took turns cooking and washing dishes, and Max felt like he and Lewis were an old married couple who just fit together perfectly. It was like the blissful opposite of how life had been when he and Lando lived together.</p><p>     Lewis was such a steady presence in Max's life. He was always loving and careful, meticulous about even the smallest tasks in life in such a way that made Max appreciate watching him do anything. Whenever Max needed a hug, or reassurance that things would be okay, Lewis was there for him. With open arms and a soft voice, Lewis comforted him and helped his world stop spinning.</p><p>     The only thing Max didn't like about living with Lewis was the fact that he had to sleep on the couch. It was better than nothing and Lewis was extremely kind to let him sleep on the couch, but every morning Max woke up with soreness in his back and neck that made him wince when he sat up. For such a nice home, Max had assumed that Lewis' house would have at least more than one bedroom, but his assumptions didn't always live up to reality.</p><p>     Max didn't complain. He knew it would have been rather rude to complain when Lewis had taken him in and begun to patch up his hurt soul. Still, he couldn't stop himself from groaning at the soreness in his shoulders every once in a while, such as when the rain finally stopped and Roscoe was practically begging for a walk.</p><p>     "He gets so antsy when we get wet weather and we're all cooped up inside," Lewis laughed as Roscoe dragged him down the sidewalk.</p><p>     Max followed along closely, wrapping a coat around himself and looking around the pretty scenery. There were still some puddles on the sidewalk from the rain, and the afternoon sun made made the pavement all shiny. He was going to say something in return, but instead winced when he turned his head to look at Lewis.</p><p>     "Are you alright?" Lewis asked, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>     "Ahh..my neck and back really hurt. I guess I slept weirdly on the couch, which probably means that I should find a place of my own. I've bothered you enough anyway," Max chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked along.</p><p>     "You're not a bother!" Lewis exclaimed with a sympathetic smile, "why don't you take my bed? You've slept on the couch for long enough, it's only fair that you get a good night's sleep too."</p><p>     It was just like Lewis to give up his own bed in his own house, and Max wished he had half the goodheartedness that Lewis did. Max blushed and looked down at the cracks in the sidewalk, wishing he knew what to say. More and more he was finding himself at a loss for words when Lewis did something like that, something that made Max feel cared for. He didn't know why, but it always made his cheeks flush with warmth and he instinctively looked at the ground.</p><p>     "Oh, I couldn't do that. It's your house, and it's your bed," Max answered quietly. His back may have been begging him to accept and sleep in a regular bed, but his self consciousness yelled at him not to.</p><p>     "Well, the offer still stands if you change your mind," Lewis reassured him in a singsong voice. Roscoe yipped happily as he trotted along the sidewalk, and Max wished things would always be like this.</p><p>     Later that night, Max shrugged on a pair of pyjamas and settled down for another night of sleeping on the couch. As comfortable as it was to sit and relax on, it really didn't have the same firmness and support that a mattress did. He grimaced and lay down, sighing and pulling the blanket over himself. Max closed his eyes and rolled over in attempt to get comfortable.</p><p>     Time passed him by, yet he couldn't fall asleep. Max felt too hot with the blanket and then felt too cold without it, and his back hurt no matter how he positioned himself With an irritated huff, Max kicked the blanket off and rubbed at his tired eyes.</p><p>     There was a quiet sound down the hall, and Max sat up to see Lewis yawning and peeking around the corner at him. He was dressed comfortably in sweatpants and a hoodie, obviously having just woken up, just like the night where Max had first shown up on his front porch. Lewis smiled wearily and said, "Max, come here. You need to sleep."</p><p>     Max sheepishly nodded and got up off the couch. He dragged himself down the hall and stepped into the room behind Lewis. On the floor and at the foot of the bed, Roscoe was softly snoring away and had a blanket draped over him. The bed was large with many pillows, and Max didn't even think twice about climbing in beside Lewis. </p><p>     There was more than enough room for the both of them to fit, and Max let out a satisfied breath as he sank down into the mattress and the cloud-like pillows. The sheets were warm without being too heavy, and he was pleasantly comfortable in the large bed. He could hear Lewis shifting beside him, and Max rolled over onto his side and gave him one last glance before letting his eyes fall shut. For the first time in a while, Max fell into a deep sleep and was able to get a decent rest.</p>
<hr/><p>     Max was awakened by the feeling of warm sunlight streaming in through the curtains, gently touching his cheek. The sheets were snug around him and he had one arm tucked beneath the pillow. He felt comfortable and well-rested, much better than how he had ever woken up after sleeping on the couch.</p><p>     Beside him, Max could hear somebody shifting on the mattress, the sheets rustling softly. Max instinctively rolled over and moved to be closer to his bedmate, and without thinking, he tucked his head against the solid chest and rubbed his cheek against the soft material of a sweatshirt. He would never admit out loud how good it felt to him to cuddle up against someone. It was something that was missing in his life ever since he and Lando had separated.</p><p>     Strong arms wrapped around Max, one hand resting on his back and firmly pulling him close. Max smiled blissfully, his eyes still closed as he was in the process of waking up. It was relaxing and rejuvenating to be held in the comforts of a cozy bed, and he didn’t question things until he fluttered his eyes open.</p><p>     He looked down at the arms protectively hugging him to find the sleeves of the sweatshirt pushed up just enough to see twirling lines of ink. Lando did not have tattoos, it occurred to him, and Max remembered that they were no longer together. Glancing up, Max flushed and felt slightly embarrassed to see Lewis still sleeping peacefully as he held Max. </p><p>     Despite his initial embarrassment, Max didn't try to move away and simply rested his head on Lewis' chest once more. It felt right to be cuddling with Lewis, it felt right to be waking up with him, and Max was coming to realize that it felt right to be living with him. Everything about being with Lewis felt like that was how life was supposed to be. He didn't know whether he should let himself drift into the tingly feeling in his stomach and fall in love with Lewis, or if he should draw back and be reserved like he normally was.</p><p>     Max squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his nose against the material of Lewis' sweatshirt. The past few months of living with Lewis had been some of the best time of his life as far as he could remember. There was something homely about having someone as kind and caring as Lewis around him all the time. As someone who had had such a lack of love in his life for a while, Max's weary soul didn't realize how desperate he was for that kind of intimacy until now.</p><p>     Along with being kind, Lewis was also just straight up <em>beautiful.</em> His sweet smile could make anyone feel better, and the gentleness in his eyes never failed to make Max forget whatever was on his mind. Max loved watching Lewis run a hand through the curls of his hair and tie it back before doing some mundane task like cooking, and he couldn't stop himself from studying the tattoos that ran all over Lewis' upper body. Then there was the jewelry he wore, from his bracelets to his piercings that Max liked watching him carefully clean at the end of the day. Everything about Lewis was simply mesmerizing and Max was in deep.</p><p>     Instead of being stressed about his breakup, Max was now stressed over how much he wanted to be with Lewis.</p><p>     Lewis woke up a few minutes later, yawning and at first not noticing that anything was out of the ordinary. He patted Max's back and let out a content hum, keeping his snug hold on the Dutchman.</p><p>     Max peered up at him and couldn't look away when Lewis glanced down at him, smiling sleepily and looking like everything out of Max's dreams. There was part of him screaming in the back of his mind to just lean up and kiss him, but there was something still holding him back. </p><p>     He hesitantly leaned up, and Lewis put his hand under Max's chin ever so gently, like he wanted the exact same thing. Max leaned closer and closer until his nose brushed against Lewis' cheek and he could have counted the Brit's eyelashes. </p><p>     "Do you want to?" Lewis asked in a hushed voice, and Max peered into his eyes and couldn't look away. They didn't have to say what they were talking about; they both just knew.</p><p>     "Yes," Max breathed out, "but I don't know if we should."</p><p>     Lewis cupped his cheek in the palm of his hand and dragged his thumb over his cheekbone, making Max shiver in his arms and feel like he was safe and at home.</p><p>     "Let's just take this slow, then," Lewis reassured him, "whatever<em> this</em> may be." As he always did, he managed to make Max feel like everything in the world was as it should be.</p><p>     Max exhaled and nodded, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against Lewis'. He was glad that it wasn't just him who felt the connection between them, and he felt just a little hint of excitement about something for the first time in a while. Sitting in bed with Lewis that morning, Max felt the clouds lurking above him start to dissipate, and the sun beginning to shine through. </p><p>     They wordlessly got out of bed a few minutes later and went about their day. They made breakfast together, ate together, and it wasn't until Max was in the shower by himself that he was able to think things through. The hot water cascaded around him and Max knew that he couldn't deny that he was in love with Lewis anymore.</p><p>     And surprisingly, he didn't try to fight that thought any longer.</p>
<hr/><p>     Days of allowing himself to fall in love led Max to becoming a blushing mess around Lewis. Whenever they passed by one another, whether it was as they walked down the hall and brushed by each other or bumped into each other in the kitchen, Max couldn't help but bite his lip and look at the ground while his cheeks flushed a warm red shade.</p><p>     It was so annoying but also such a lovely sensation. When Lewis gave him a beautiful smile, or did anything adorable at all, Max felt something warm and fuzzy spread throughout him. It stated in his stomach and spread up into his chest, filling his lungs with something sweet and making him lose his breath. Max would part his lips and try to catch his breath, instinctively looking down to try to keep his dignity. But of course, no matter what he did, Max couldn't stop the tingly feeling that eventually overtook his whole body. </p><p>     To be in love was a full body experience, and Max forgot how tiring yet fun it could be. </p><p>     They took things slow, like Lewis had promised. At first, they didn't really talk about the fact that there was something blossoming between them. They would dance around it during the day, spending time with one another and exchanging shy glances, and then fall into Lewis' soft bed at night together.</p><p>     There was nothing strange about it to them. Max would simply follow Lewis into his room, with little Roscoe scampering along at his heels. Lewis would shrug a sweatshirt on and push the sheets back, and the two of them bundled up together beneath the sheets. The blankets were soft and would lull Max to sleep, and he would always wake up in Lewis' arms.</p><p>     Max had learned over the years not to get his hopes up often. The memories of disappointment and the vile taste of his father's words had made him hesitant to look on the bright side of life over the years. Yet now, Max cautiously thought that perhaps things were going well, or at least they were starting to.</p><p>     Waking up wasn't a chore anymore. He didn't open his eyes and stare at the ceiling, letting his lungs deflate while a sinking feeling made his eyelids feel too heavy to get out of bed. Life didn't have a perpetual gray tone to it anymore; instead, Max suddenly knew what people meant when they talked about living in colour. Lewis made his life so vibrant that at times, Max felt like he was staring into the sun.</p><p>     Eventually, the idea of talking to Lando didn't seem as daunting as it once had. Max was able to pick up his phone without his heart rate anxiously increasing, and he made the decision one morning to send a message to his ex, who he was hoping he would still be able to call a friend once more.</p><p>     <strong>Hey. I think I'm ready to talk to you. Can we meet up sometime? </strong>Max typed and pressed send without hesitating. He practically threw his phone onto the table and sat, waiting. For a brief second, he was afraid that he wouldn't get a response, and maybe Lando no longer wanted anything to do with him.</p><p>  <strong>   Sure! :) How about in a few hours or so? We're out rn, I'll let you know when we get home! </strong>Lando thankfully answered a few minutes later. His cheeriness made a flood of relief rush through Max, who was glad that Lando's excitement and bubbly personality was just as strong as it usually was. From the happy and upbeat response he got, Max could tell that things were going to be alright between them.</p><p>     Max sent back a confirmation text before getting up, tucking his phone into his pocket and turning around when he heard Lewis coming into the living room. The Brit had his coat on and was putting Roscoe's leash on, while the dog happily yipped and wagged his little tail. Max curiously watched as he leashed Roscoe up, noting that Lewis had a tennis ball tucked underneath his arm.</p><p>     "I was thinking we could go to the dog park today. It's pretty nice out, so it would be great to get some fresh air and sunlight," Lewis suggested as he stood back up with Roscoe's leash in hand.</p><p>     With an eager nod, Max said, "sure, that sounds fun."</p><p>     There weren't too many other people around when they got to the park. At first, Max and Lewis let Roscoe lead them around, letting him run around and sniff excitedly at the ground. He wagged his tail and barked at the other dogs, and Max thought it was cute to see him play with them. The sun shone down on them with no clouds to dull its rays. Standing in the warm sunlight with Lewis at his side and Roscoe trotting in front of them, Max felt like everything was right in his world. He was exactly where he was meant to be.</p><p>     Lewis eventually fished the tennis ball out of his pocket and unclipped Roscoe's leash. He tossed the ball a fair distance and Roscoe quickly scampered off after it. They stood and waited as they watched Roscoe search for the ball in the long, green grass.</p><p>     Max didn't even think about what he was doing as he stepped to the side to be closer to Lewis and shyly reached down to tangle their fingers together. Lewis glanced over at him and smiled sweetly, squeezing Max's hand. His hand was soft and a comforting presence to Max.</p><p>     Roscoe came bounding back to them with the bright tennis ball in his mouth. He came sliding to a stop and sat down in front of Lewis, letting the ball fall from his mouth and glancing expectantly up at him.</p><p>     "You wanna throw it for him?" Lewis asked, crouching to pick up the ball and holding it out to Max.</p><p>     "I'll try," Max agreed, taking the ball from him. </p><p>     He drew his arm back and leaned forward as he gave a powerful throw, the ball traveling a while before bouncing off the path and landing somewhere in the grass. Roscoe barked and ran after it, his short legs managing to carry him at quite an impressive speed. Max reached for Lewis' hand once more and leaned against him, pleasantly surprised when Lewis rested his head on his shoulder. </p><p>     It took Roscoe a moment to find where the tennis ball had landed. When he found it, he picked it up and came rushing back to the two of them, this time stopping in front of Max. He sat there and dropped the ball, wagging his tail and almost seeming to smile up at Max.</p><p>     Max knelt down on the grass and patted his head. Roscoe let out a happy whine and practically climbed onto his lap, bracing his front paws on Max's knees to stand up and lick his face. </p><p>     Putting on arm on the dog's back, Max broke out into a grin. He smiled from ear to ear, the muscles in his face nearly hurting from how widely he was beaming. Max began to laugh as Roscoe wagged his tail and licked at his cheek, and he heard Lewis fondly laughing too. Just like the coy shyness that overtook him when Lewis made him blush, Max's laughter and smile spread throughout his whole body, and he fell onto his back in the grass.</p><p>      Max was gasping for breath as his laughter began to quiet after a few minutes. Lewis had sat down next to him, smiling ethereally like he always was, and he reached out to put  a hand on Max's cheek. For a second, Max just lay in the grass, looking up at him in awe.</p><p>     "I hadn't heard you laugh like that in a while, and I can't think of the last time I saw you really smile like that either," Lewis murmured affectionately. He brushed the back of his hand along Max's cheek and Max felt himself smiling once more. As much as Max preferred to be in control, he found that that contagious smile was the best thing he had experienced in a while.</p><p>     "Neither can I," Max said as he sat up, shifting to sit closer to him, "but you managed to make it possible for me to smile and laugh again. I don't know what I would have done without you, Lewis."</p><p>     They said no more, with Max leaning closer and closer until he finally pressed their lips together in a kiss. Max's eyes fell shut as he felt Lewis run a hand through his hair, tenderly stroking his shoulder with his other hand. His lips were soft and gentle against Max's, and Max wasn't aware of anything else except for Lewis kissing him and holding him close. That moment was everything Max wanted and needed; it was perfect and he felt on top of the world.</p><p>     He had the man he loved right beside him, the sun gazing down on them lovingly, and little Roscoe drifting off to sleep beside them in the grass. Pulling away from his lips to take a breath, Max was sure that he had everything he needed right with him. As far as he was concerned, Max couldn't have asked for more.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>wow so this ended up way longer than I was expecting it to...this took many late nights and hours worth of writing to complete jsjs 😔😔❤️ I hope it was good!!</p><p>as always you can find me on Tumblr @esteboo-ocon 🙊</p></blockquote></div></div>
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